The exodus continues, Albania is filled with foreign workers; record 22.7 thousand employees

Albania has achieved a record for the employment of foreign citizens, reaching over 22 thousand citizens by June 2026 from 18 thousand which was their number until December 2025.

Specifically, according to data from the Electronic Register of Foreigners (FER) provided to Monitor by the State Police, the number of foreigners employed in the country reached 22,693 citizens by June 30, 2026.

Of the total number of employees with a unique permit, 20,332 are foreign citizens and 2,361 foreign citizens are registered with a unique permit as self-employed.

The number of foreigners with unique permits for employees is led by citizens from the Philippines, India and Egypt. These countries together have 10,258 unique permits for employees, accounting for about 50% of the total number of employees in the country.

Specifically, the number of foreigners from the Philippines by June 2026 reached 3,552 citizens with work permits, constituting about 16% of the total number of foreigners employed in the country.

Following them are citizens from India with 3,423 employees or 15% of the total. Citizens from Egypt reached 3,283 employees.

Following them is Turkey with 1,503 unique permits for employees and Italy with 1,306 permits.
Furthermore, among the other countries with the highest number of foreign employees equipped with unique permits are the USA with 619 permits, Indonesia with 229 citizens, China with 212 citizens equipped with unique permits by employees, etc.

In recent years, many entrepreneurs, especially in the service sector in bars and restaurants, have claimed to Monitor that they have significantly increased the employment of foreign nationals from the Philippines and India.

Many foreigners from these countries are employed in bars and restaurants in positions such as waiters, cleaners or cooks. Other jobs have also been created in manufacturing plants, which are hiring young engineers from India.

While citizens from Egypt are increasingly being employed in the transportation, livestock, and agritourism sectors.

The employment of foreigners has also expanded to include families. Filipinos are being employed as childcare workers, elderly care workers, or housekeepers.
Italians and Kosovo citizens continue to lead self-employment.

Unlike unique permits for employees, which are dominated by citizens of the Philippines, India, and Egypt, unique permits for self-employment are led by Italian citizens.

Of the total of 2,361 unique permits for self-employment, 868 belong to Italian citizens or about 37% of the total.
After Italy, Kosovo ranks with 283 permits, followed by Turkey with 199, the USA with 198, Ukraine with 92, Syria with 68, Germany with 67 and Poland with 65 unique permits for self-employment, etc./ Monitor